Web sites

trAce

http://human.ntu.ac.uk/foh/ems/trace/trace.html

Based at Nottingham Trent University, and linked to its MA in Writing, "provides information about writing resources of all kinds and offers an arena for literary debate and discussion between writers and readers working in cyberspace and beyond". The scope is impressively large, covering everything from poetry sites to Freebase, an online journal of culture and technology, which supports Shockwave if your browser has that plug- in. The content is enough to make you invest in an off-line reader. If you register for , you will automatically be contacted, via Netmind's automatic e-mail robot, every time the content changes - a useful feature if you want to keep updated.

Harmonic Convergence 2

http://mh101.infi.net/bjwolf/

In case you missed the first Harmonic Convergence 10 years ago, you've now got the opportunity to "give Love to Mother Earth and to Humanity" this weekend instead. At noon on the 25 to 27 July, people throughout the world will be praying, meditating and getting involved in festivals - from self-awareness in dance workshops in Poland to prayer boat ceremonies in New York and meditation retreats in Norway. Synchronicity is the name of the game. Cynics might think this sort of thing is an exercise in self- delusion, to make yourself feel good, but the organisers claim the mass meditation is going to be under scrutiny from scientists investigating global consciousness. Head for your nearest sacred site, or area of outstanding natural beauty, to join the celebrations.

Closely Guarded Secrets Of The UK Surfing World

http://www.britsurf.org/UKSurfIndex/

Out on the ocean, dropping in on a wave (encroaching on another surfer's right of way) is a cardinal sin. Dropping in on this site, however, is almost mandatory. You will find classified ads of secondhand gear and, just as important, links to surfing magazines which will be only too happy to fill you on the etiquette necessary to prevent invoking wave rage among the locals when you go on holiday. There are also links to surf shops, surf schools and an e-mail newsletter. Most impressive, though, are the surf and weather links. The Met Office is in there, as is the US Navy's Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center with its global wave amplitude model. But best of all is Surf System, which is easy for even a non-meteorologist to use and gives forecasts of expected wave heights at assorted breaks and resorts around the UK. It operates up to seven days ahead and in the South West is accurate to plus or minus six inches.

The E-Minder Free Reminder-By-E-mail Service

http://www.netmind.com/e-minder/e-minder.html

Forget tying a knot in your handkerchief and instead use the power of the Web to remind you of all those things that, for the sake of a quiet life, are best not forgotten: anniversaries, birthdays of significant others, the date by which your tax return has to be filed. This site gives you the opportunity to delegate the awesome responsibility of keeping track of the complexities of life on to someone else. No frills, no fancy graphics, just a straightforward form to specify what it is you need reminding about, when you need to know it, and whether you'll need your memory jogging every year or if it's just a one-off job. Hit the submit button and relax. At the appointed time an e-mail will arrive and your life will become simpler - as long as you remember to check your mailbox regularly.

Crop Circle Connector

http://www.marque.demon.co.uk/connector/connector.html

Whatever happened to all those newspaper and television reports about crop circles mysteriously springing up in the British countryside? Apparently, the aliens/hoaxers/drunk livestock or other likely suspects have relocated to the other side of the North Sea. Mysterious 40-metre long formations appeared two weeks ago in fields of rye 500 metres from the Rhine between Altrip and Rheingonnheim. The truth is out there, probably, and only a mouse click or two away

Andy Oldfield